Mechanical fly-trap.



I PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906 T. w. THORNTON.

MECHANICAL FLY TRAP.

APPLICATION I'ILED SEPT. 20, 1905.

Witnesses W fzfiarwzlnventor, M. L/"

Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT oirrron MECHANICAL FLY-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed September 20, 1905. Serial No. 279,322.

To all 1071/0111, it Huey concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. THORNTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cheyenne, in the county of Roger Mills, Oklahoma Territory, have invented a new and useful Mechanical Fly-Trap, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to mechanical flytraps; and among its objects are to simplify and improve the construction and operation of this class of devices.

With these and other ends in view, which I will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations, and modifications within the scope of the invention may be made when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a mechanical fly-trap constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail front elevation of a part of the device.

Corresponding parts in both figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

A rectangular frame or casing 1 is provided, said casing including a base 2 and a top piece 3. The side members of the casing, only one of which appears in the drawings, are constructed exactly alike, each being provided with a notch 4, terminating at its inner end in a recess 5, affording supporting means for a transverse shaft 6, carrying a drum or cylinder 7, which is in this manner supported for rotation. Said drum or cylinder is provided, near one end thereof, with a plurality of circumferentially-disposed buckets 8 8. The to of the casing has an opening 9, at the rear edge of which is supported a stationary scraper 10, extending in the direction of the cylinder 6, with relation to which it has been shown as being radially disposed. A shield 11 also depends from the top of the casing and extends downwardly in rear of and beneath the cylinder, the lower portion of said shield being approximately concentric with said cylinder Upon the top of the casing 1 is supported a tank 12, containing liquid, such as water, which may escape through a spout 13, depending from one end of the tank and extending through an aperture in the top member 3 of the casing, said spout being preferably plugged with a bit of felt, sponge, or other porous material, as 13, through which the liquid may slowly percolate and drop into the buckets 8, whereby the drum will be slowly rotated. A tank 15, supported upon the base 2 beneath the drum, serves to receive the water that is being discharged from the buckets and which may from time to time be restored to the tank 12. It will be observed that no portion of the revolving drum or of the buckets connected therewith will at any time become immersed in the liquid contained in the tank 15.

Connected with the top member 3 of the casing is a hood 16, which extends forwardly over and beyond the front side of the rotary drum, the extremity of said hood being widely spaced from the periphery of the drum, so that flies rising from the surface of the drum will be almost sure to pass under the hood, and thus into the trap. This hood may, if desired, be constructed of transparent material, so that the shadow cast thereby will not alarm flies that may have settled upon the rotary drum.

Supported upon the top of the casing directly over the opening 9 is a conventional wire trap 17, having a detachable lid 18 and a conical entrance 19, terminating in a small aperture 20.

In the operation of this device molasses or other bait is smeared over the surface of the drum for the purpose of enticing the flies, the drum being readily removableofrom the casing for the application of the bait. The drum will be slowly but constantly rotated by the weight of the water dripping into the buckets and discharged into the tank 15, and flies attracted by'the bait and settling upon the drum will be carried under the groove 16 and in the direction of the scraper 10, which will disturb the flies still remaining upon the drum, causing them to fly upwardly into the trap. The depending hood 16 will prevent the likelihood of escape of any flies carried under the edge thereof, owing to the wellknown tendency of these insects to fly upwardly and in the direction of the light, which under the present construction enters mainly through the aperture 9. The shield IIO 11 serves to prevent flies from settling upon the downgoing side of the drum and disposing of the bait without being caught. It

also protects the bait-coated drum from be- 5 ing accidentally splashed with water, causing removal of the bait.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is 1. In a mechanical fiy-trap, a casing having an aperture in the top thereof, a cylinder supported for rotation therein, a trap supported directly above the aperture in the top of the casing above said cylinder, a scraper directed from the rear edge of the aperture radially toward the cylinder, and a hood extending from the upper front edge of the casing over and beyond the front side of the cylinder.

2. In a mechanical fly-trap, a casing having an aperture in the upper side thereof, a slowly driven cylinder supported for rotation in said casing, a trap supported above the aperture, and a hood extending from the upper front edge of the casing forwardly plver and beyond the front side of the cylin- 3. In a mechanical fly-trap, a rectangular frame having an aperture in its upper side, a

slowlydriven cylinder supported for rotation in the casing, a trap supported above the aperture, a hood extending from the upper front edge of the casing forwardly over and beyond the front side of the cylinder, a scraper directed from the rear edge of the aperture toward the cylinder, and a shield depending in rear of the scraper behind and beneath the cylinder.

4. In a mechanical fiy-trap, a casing having an aperture in the top thereof, a cylinder supported for rotation therein, a trapsup- THOMAS W. THORNTON.

Witnesses JNo. C. HENDRIX, ORVILLE MONROE. 

